Scholarship

YFPA Scholarship Program

​The YFPA Scholarship Program was designed to serve Bay Area graduating high school students who are involved in the Filipino community and have been accepted into a 4 year college/university to pursue a Bachelor’s degree.

Applications for the 2018 YFPA Scholarships will be posted by January 2018.​Please check this page periodically for updates.

​Objective

The objective of the program is to provide financial assistance to college-bound students who have demonstrated academic excellence, exhibited leadership potential, and engaged in serving their communities. ​Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic achievement, leadership experience, educational and career goals, essay quality (originality, grammar and organization) and financial need. All shortlisted applicants will be invited to an in-person interview.

Application Requirements

Two (2) Letters of Recommendation from a teacher, school counselor, or community leader. Letters of recommendation used for college applications may be used. Letters of recommendation must also contain the contact details of the recommender (phone and email).

Proof of college acceptance or current student enrollment.

Most recent official high school transcript with a minimum 3.5 GPA (cumulative).

Personal Essay.

Completed Eligibility Form. ​

Award Components

Awards will be $2,500 scholarships. YPFA will award a maximum of three (3) scholarships. Selections will be done by the YFPA Scholarship Committee and approved by the YFPA Board of Directors.

Eligibility Requirements

Be a graduating college-bound high school senior.

Attend a high school within a 50-mile radius of San Francisco, CA.

Have an overall grade point average of 3.5 or higher upon graduation.

Have been accepted to a 4-year college at the time scholarships are awarded.

If chosen as a finalist, attend a 30 minute face-to-face interview on the weekend of April 28, 2018.

If selected as a recipient, attend the YFPA Scholarship Awards Night in May in San Francisco and read the application essay in front of an audience.

Past YFPA Scholarship Program Recipients

​Alyanna (2017)Alyanna was born in Berkeley, California and raised in Hercules, California. Born from Filipino immigrants, she grew up heavily influenced by the Filipino culture. Alyanna has served in her school’s “Filipino Club” as an officer, helping to teach her community about the different foods, arts, and history of the Filipino people. She has also participated in her city’s “Tinikling” dance, where she performs the traditional Filipino dance during multicultural events, and teaches elementary students how to do the dance themselves. Alyanna has also conducted a “Threads of Hope” Fundraiser for her community service club “KIWIN’S”, that sold bracelets for the purpose of raising money for underprivileged families in the Philippines. Alyanna enjoys singing, volleyball, and playing instruments in her spare time, as well as devoting her talents to perform in front of the elderly through an organization called “Pinole Friends”. Alyanna graduated from Hercules High school as salutatorian, and will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles in the fall, majoring in Physiological sciences.

​​Kristal (2016)Kristal was born in Quezon City, Philippines and migrated with her family to the United States in 2011. Growing up with a shy personality, she eventually emerged as a leader when she became an intern for an afterschool program by Filipino Advocates for Justice where she create and facilitate workshops about Filipino history/culture and societal issues. She uses her leadership to empower women and help create a space for fellow immigrants to adjust in America. She also mobilizes youths to actively participate in the community to fight against discrimination in our society. Kristal’s experience as a leader empowered her to use her voice as a future educator. She will take on a new journey in San Francisco State University as a Sociology major and Ethnic Studies minor. She also values her Filipino identity and wants to teach young people to be proud of their background by embodying the saying, “No History, No Self”

​Precious (2015)Precious was born and raised in the Philippines. At the age of eight, she moved to the Tenderloin, San Francisco, with her dad and two brothers to reunite with her mom, who moved to the U.S. in 1999. Living in the Tenderloin has shaped her passions and aspirations. In the future, she wants to go back to her community and expose youths to educational opportunities in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and make District 6 safer for all. As of now, she is a senior in Sacred Heart Cathedral and a prospective freshman in UC Berkeley in the college of Letters and Science for Applied Mathematics.

Julianne (2014)Julianne is graduating senior at Lick-Wilmerding in San Francisco. Julianne was actively involved as a freshmen, sophomore, and senior class representative and served as an Executive Co-Vice President. She was also co-president of her school’s Filipino Heritage Club where she explored her Filipino American heritage and helped foster an appreciation for the culture at her school. Julianne has been dancing since the age of 4 studying jazz, ballet, tap, contemporary, and hip hop. She was a member of Tiffany’s Dance Academy of SSF’s performing company, Funksters SF - a youth hip hop team, and at school where she was chosen as a “Dance Mama,” a role that entails organizing rehearsals and being a positive presence. In addition to dance, Julianne has been playing the piano for 13 years.​Julianne’s encounters within and beyond her school’s academic settings have given her a sense of what she hopes to do in the future. Through her many science classes and hospital volunteer experiences, she’s developed a passion for the mechanistic and humanistic sides of science. Julianne believes that the sheer interaction between individuals is just as valuable as the science behind the conditions one experiences. Julianne aspires to pursue medicine and become a doctor in the future. and will be attending University of California, Davis in the fall, majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior.

​Bridgitte (2016)Bridgitte was born in Turlock and raised in San Jose, California. She is a graduating senior at Mt. Pleasant High School where she has taken several leadership roles in class office, student government, and track and field. This year she was the Vice President of School Site Council, a member of the Safe School Ambassadors Program, and team captain for her Track and Field team. On top of being involved in school, she actively serves in her church. She participates in the Liturgical ministries, teaches Catechism classes, and sings in the choir. She is an active participant of the Filipino-American Committee that promotes Filipino traditions to the church community, and also donates food and toys to charities/nonprofit organizations. She aspires to give back to her family and community by sharing her knowledge in business, encouraging students to pursue a degree, and offering her time and services to help them. Bridgitte will be attending California State University, Long Beach this fall to pursue a major in Business with a concentration in Marketing

​Jerold (2015)Jerold was born in Quezon City, Philippines. In April 2002, his family moved to San Francisco in search for economic prosperity and a better education for him and his brother, Ivan. They lived in the South of Market neighborhood, a community containing mostly low-income and immigrant families. Jerold attended Bessie Carmichael Elementary School and various programs around the SoMa such as West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center and SOMCAN (South of Market Community Action Network), which helped him keep a sense of Filipino identity as he grew up as an Asian-American. Even as he was exposed to the greater San Francisco community in his transition from elementary school to middle and high school, he still stayed in touch with his Filipino culture and his sense of community.​Jerold currently attends Galileo Academy and expects to graduate in May. In Galileo, he was a captain for his Cross Country and Track and Field teams, as well as the president for the Yoga Club and the Vice President of the Filipino Club. In the SoMa community, he is currently one of the core members of YOHANA (Youth Organizing Home and Neighborhood Action), a youth-led program that strives to mold the city’s future leaders through leadership building and political awareness. As one of the leaders of YOHANA, Jerold spoke in front of San Francisco City Hall to increase the minimum wage and pass the Housing Balance Act. In his free time, he likes to run, do yoga, or play basketball. He is also an avid Warriors and Giants fan. In the fall of 2015, Jerold will attend Stanford University.

Alexandra (2014)Alexandra is a graduating senior at Presentation High School where she is involved in student activities and clubs such as the Presentation Ambassadors Club, Community Involvement, Mu Alpha Theta, California Scholarship Federation, Peer Ministry, Leadership Academy and she was the Editor-In-Chief of the yearbook. She recently completed a project collecting over 800 books and $100 to donate to remote libraries in the Philippines through Books for the Barrios. She writes for SF Post, Inquirer.net, is a blogger, webmaster, and is an Honourable Mention for Youth Voice at the Plaridel Awards. Alexandra participated in various Fashion pageants like the Snow Show for San Francisco Fashion Week, the Philippine International Aid show, and currently holds titles in several pageants. Alexandra also hosted the Miss Philippines Earth USA Pageant last November. She recently signed with City Models Management as a model.​​Alexandra hopes to publish her own book and have her own show to highlight local business and promote community events. Alexandra will be attending Santa Clara University as a Communications major and minor in Business